1/27/15

Body image and sport performance - make the changes, now.

There is so much nutritional dogma out there and it's hard to go a day without feeling overwhelmed by nutrition and body composition. On social media, TV, in magazines and pretty much wherever you go, nutrition is the most dominant topic when it comes to health, wellness, performance and disease. Of course, there is a great reason why we should focus on nutrition for it is the vital component in our life that keeps us healthy and well. But, would you be surprised if I told you that much of my work with athletes as a sport RD is clearing up confusion, worry, fear and guilt about eating and fueling a body in motion?Can you be fit, healthy, strong, lean and fast and eat carbohydrates, drink milk, use sport nutrition products and eat before a workout?

Probably not if you have been listening to the loudest voices in today's sport nutrition/diet industry. Rather than learning about moderation, balance, mindful eating and nutrient timing, you may find yourself drowning in information on what not to eat. Now a days, many athletes feel pressure to pick a diet fad to "fit-in" and to find comfort in controlling your food intake. I work with many athletes who adhere to a gluten-free, vegan, dairy/lactose-free or vegetarian diet but it's not because media or someone on a forum told them too. There are underlying issues going on and they are seeking help to stay healthy and take performance to the next level. Healthy eating is a lifestyle Not that it was ever a focus of our society, but we have completely overlooked the necessary component of making healthy eating part of our lifestyle. Learning how to cook bread, slowing down for meal time and eating around the table, having a meal plan for the week on Sunday - with a grocery list and recipes - for you and your family, making it an effort to prepare leftovers, seeing eating out as a special occasion, making time to soak grains and beans and lentils overnight, finding fun ways to eat your "5-a day" of fruits and veggies and making a few swaps from eating entertaining foods to eating more sustaining foods. Nope, now we live in a world of shame, guilt, self-hatred when it comes to food. Just eliminate these x-foods foods and you will be healthy...even if that means sticking to a diet of broccoli, sweet potato and chicken for the next 30 days. It doesn't hit every athlete or fitness enthusiast this hard but I do believe that people are becoming much more vulnerable to their bodies these days and a dietary fad or extreme measure is the quick fix.

Developing a healthy relationship with food and the body I'm proud to be one of the few sport RDs who make an effort to focus on sensitive and not commonly discussed issues like body image and learning to develop a healthy relationship with food in athletes. And I'm also proud to be one of the few sport RD's who still advocates eating carbohydrates, using sport nutrition products (yes, the ones with sugar in them) and eating before every workout because I know these things boost performance and keep an athlete healthy. Yes, I said it - these things can be done and you can still be fit, lean and healthy. You can still be metabolically efficient by eating before a workout. Sugar is not evil or poison. Carbohydrates will not cause inflammation or make you experience more sugar cravings throughout the day. However, you must ask yourself what does your typical diet look like throughout the day that would favor fueling properly before, during and after workouts? If you want to take your training to the next level, you have to see your daily diet and fueling regime as two different entities.

As a coach and dietitian, before I give an athlete the best training plan I can create or provide the best fueling strategy before, during and after workouts, it is critical that my athletes have a healthy relationship with food and the body. And this doesn’t happen overnight and it's no quick fix.

But no female OR male athlete is going to reach her potential if she/he doesn’t learn how to have a healthy relationship with her body.

Changing your body on the outside, doesn’t always make you healthier, stronger or fitter in the inside and there is a fine line as to how much weight should be lost before performance and health are compromised.

Certainly, let's not make the method of losing weight be counterproductive of the goal of improving health and performance.

Stop the body bashing

In the mix of hundreds of pictures on social media of athletes showing their ripped abs and flexed legs and biceps, there are many athletes who struggle with body image to the point that they sabotage performance and even health in order to “look like an athlete."

Guess, what...you are an athlete and no one can take that title away from you - no matter your weight, body composition or speed.

Let's not forget that personal best performance comes from a well-laid training plan and a well-fueled body. You can't put a specific number on the scale or body fat percentage on that fact.

There is a broad spectrum of shapes and sizes when it comes to the physiques of female and male athletes, specifically triathletes. Athletes of similar sports tend to carry similar physiological traits such as runners legs, sprinters butt, swimmers shoulders/back, gymnasts abs, cyclists quads.

But when it comes to triathletes, we are merging three different sports that require stamina, power and efficiency. When it comes to performance, leanness is not our missing link in triathlons. The three big limiters in a poor endurance performance are fatigue, glycogen depletion and dehydration. Not being 5 lbs over your race weight or not being 12% body fat.

I am sure we have all done some body examining, “oh she/he looks so fit, so she/he must be fast” but let’s not forget basic physiology.

A body performs based on consistent hard work which happens with a smart training plan and good daily and sport nutrition.

Body image is getting in the way of happiness, health and performance for so many athletes.

This must stop. Now.Let’s stop the body bashing and extreme exercise and dietary practices and let’s start living an amazing life with a healthy relationship with food and the body so you can finally reach your full athletic potential.

Put an end to the diet fads and off-limit food list because you need to start thanking and respecting your body in motion.If you need help or have some questions that you want answered, reach out to a sport RD.

IM Choo '18

IM Austria '16

IM Kona '15

IMWI '14

IM Austria '14

IM Kona '13

IM Lake Placid '13

Kona '11

IMWI '10

IMKY 09

Kona 07

IMFL 06

Boston Marathon 06

My First Triathlon!

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Welcome to Trimarni!

The Trimarni mission is to help athletes reach performance goals without compromising health.
Marni has a great understanding of physiology of the human body during exercise and how food affects a body in motion.
She focuses her time helping triathletes and runners learn how to maximize fitness while keeping the body in good health. Marni is well educated in the areas of sport nutrition (for training and racing) and triathlon coaching, exercise physiology and strength training, for athletes of all fitness levels. She specializes in endurance training and sport nutrition, with a great understanding of the metabolic, immune and hormonal stress that occurs when training for a long distance event. Behind every great athlete is a well planned diet - she also helps athletes create great daily nutrition habits to support consistent training.
Marni is passionate about helping athletes train smarter in order to reach performance, body composition and health goals faster.
Karel is an experienced RETUL bike fitter and bike mechanic and is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to all things bikes and cycling.
Marni and Karel coach a team of triathletes alongside providing services to triathletes, cyclists and runners.

About us

Marni holds a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology and she is a Board Certified Sport Dietitian who specializes in coaching and sport nutrition for endurance athletes. Marni is passionate about helping athletes of all levels learn how to fuel and eat to maximize performance, while keeping the body in good health. She is a 12x Ironman finisher including 4 Ironman World Championship finishes and the recent 2017 IM CHOO Amateur Female Champion. In, 2015, Karel and Marni both competed in the 2015 IM World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Marni holds an Ironman PR of 10:06 (2016 Ironman Austria), where she had the fastest overall female swim time (57.06) and placed 2nd AG (30-34), finishing fastest American amateur female and 4th amateur female (10th overall female). Marni is a well-known writer and contributes frequently to Ironman, Triathlete Mag, USAT and can be found quoted in other publications like Runner's World, Shape, Women's Running, Fitness and Men's Health. Marni is enjoys public speaking and working one-on-one with athletes at camps and clinics. Marni is a long-time lacto-ovo vegetarian (since the age of 10) as she loves animals.

Karel is an accomplished Cat 1 cyclist turned Ironman triathlete. He was the former general manager of the Trek Bicycle store in Jacksonville, FL and now works at Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition as a coach and RETUL bike fit expert. Karel has successfully completed 9 Ironman distance triathlons and has qualified for the Ironman World Championship four times (IMWI '14, IMMT '16, IM Placid '17 and IM Choo '17). He holds an Ironman PR of 9:13 (2016 IM Austria) and at 2016 Ironman Mont Tremblant, he clocked the fastest amateur male run split (3:08) of the day.

When Marni and Karel are not working, they can be found cooking/eating, exploring Greenville, SC or spending time with their four-legged furry child Campy.